Tag: Protest Letters by PPF

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PPF seeks justice killing Bangladeshi reporter

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), in a letter to Sheikh Hasina Wazid,  Prime Minister of Bangladesh, expressed concerned over the killing of Abdul Hakin Shimul associated with the Bangla-language daily Samakal.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali urged the government of Bangladesh the culprits with weapons used in the incident and we urge your government to vigorously investigate and bring to justice those behind the killing of Shimul.

According to International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Shimul was wounded in firing while covering the conflict within the groups of ruling party. For initial aid he was shifted to nearby local clinic when his condition deteriorated and was later moved to a hospital in the capital, Dhaka.

According to Committee to Protect (CPJ), Shimul received gunshot on his head and face. Police arrested the culprits with weapons used in the incident.

According to Committee to Protect (CPJ), since 1992, at least 20 journalists have been killed in Bangladesh for their work.

 

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PPF seeks justice for Maldives journalist

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), in a letter to Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom President of the Republic of Maldives, expressed concerned over the court judgment on January 24 to fine two Raajje TV, journalists Leevaan Ali Nasir and Mohamed Wisam for ‘obstructing police officers’ during Reporting. And urges to lift charges against the TV’s cameraman Adam Zareer.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali urged the government of Maldives, to withdraw all the charges against the journalists, conduct impartial investigation in the cases of Wisam, Nasir and Zareer as to ensure press freedom in Maldives.

According to International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), a court in the capital Malé in December 2016 convicted the two journalists of obstructing police, Wisam and Nasir; both were fined MVR 28,800 (approximately USD 1,870) each by the criminal court.

The court, which had found them blameworthy, didn’t enforce four-month detention because they were first-time offenders, prosecutors requested. The fine is to be paid within a month.

Wisam and Leevaan were arrested on November 2, 2015, along with Raajje TV’s chief operating officer, Hussain Fiyaz Moosa, during reporting of Male’s bomb scares. Later Moosa’s charges were dropped.

Wisam, also face same allegation under second court along with TV’s cameraman Zareer, while covering a protest in March, 2015. The decision is expected on February 27, 2017.

 

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Pakistan Press Foundation is concerned over the arrest of Jatupat (Pai) Boonphatthararaksa

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) in a letter to Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand has expressed concern over the arrest of the Jatupat (Pai) Boonphatthararaksa under law for lese majeste (insulting the monarchy), currently under trial in a local court

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali in his letter urged the government of Thailand to revoke case against Jatupat as it is against freedom of speech.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), Thai Jatupat Boonphatthararaksa, who is a student and a member associated with the Dao Din Movement and the New Democracy Movement (NDM), was arrested on December 3, 2016.

According to HRW, Jatupat was blamed under lese majeste offense under article 112 of the Criminal Code and violation of the Computer Crimes Act for posting against Thailand’s new monarch, King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun, on his Facebook page. BBC Thai language service published a profile on December 2, 2016.

Thai authorities blocked Jatupat article in Thailand. Thai authorities had arrested Jatupat only, although article was shared by more than 2800 people.

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PPF seeks end to free expression violations in Azerbaijan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Venezuela

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) voiced concern over the violation of media rights in Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Venezuela.

On Jan 13, PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali wrote to President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan regarding the detention and alleged torture of award-winning journalist Mehman Huseynov.

Huseynov was picked up on Monday evening and held without access to lawyer or his family until the next day. He was then produced in a Baku court, where the judge ruled that he had disobeyed the police and fined him. Huseynov said he was tortured.

Huseynov is an award-winning journalist, blogger and rights activist. His investigative work and video reports have regularly exposed high-level corruption and played a pivotal role in highlighting political and social problems in Azerbaijan.

On Jan 12, Ali wrote to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazid of Bangladesh to express concern over the arrest of reporter Nazmul Huda in Dhaka on Dec 24.

According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Huda was arrested because of his coverage of a strike by garment workers in Ashulia, the Dhaka suburb where Bangladesh’s biggest garment factories are located, RSF adds. His mobile phone and computer were also confiscated at the time of his arrest.

Huda distinguished himself in 2013 by being the only reporter to draw attention to structural problems in the Rana Plaza building in Dhaka before it collapsed, killing hundreds of garment workers and others.

On Jan 11, he wrote to PM RanilWickramasinghe of Sri Lanka, expressed concern over the confiscation of the drone camera of Hiru TV in Mirijjawila, Hambantota, on January 7.

According to the Free Media Movement (FMM), the drone camera was being used to cover the protest at the inauguration ceremony of the Sri Lanka-China joint venture at Mirijjawali that Your Excellency attended along with the Chinese ambassador. The report added that there was a clash between those attending the ceremony and those protesting it, which the drone camera was covering.

On the same date, Ali also wrote to President Nicola Maduro of Venezuela over the compulsory parliamentary broadcast on private radio and television channels on January 5.

The live broadcasts of open-signal radio stations and television stations were obstructed during the swearing-in of the new board of directors of the Venezuelan National Assembly.

The programmed broadcasting of these mediums were replaced by Notipatria, an information news program of the national government, which was made compulsory broadcasting for stations, according to the Law on Social Responsibility on Radio, Television and Electronic Media, despite it being a violation to freedom of expression.

The PPF Secretary General urged the authorities in each country to properly investigate each case and bring an end to violations of free expression, and ensure conditions where journalists and reporters can perform their professional duties without fear of intimidation or retaliation.

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Former police commander faces charges for assaulting journalist

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) in a letter to Ruhakana Rugunda, Prime Minister of Uganda welcomed the charges brought against the former police commander of Kampala District, Joram Mwesigye for assaulting a Wavah Broadcasting Services (WBS) TV journalist, Andrew Lwanga.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali in his letter urged the government of Uganda to serve the justice to the assaulted journalists.

According to Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda), on 12 January 2015, commander Mwesigye beat Lwanga when he along with Bukedde TV journalist Joseph Ssetimba was covering the peaceful demonstration by the jobless youths that were marching to present a petition to the Inspector General of Police’s office in Naguru, Kampala.

The WBS journalist was injured in spinal cord which caused him difficulty in moving without using crutches, although he remained under treatment in national and international hospitals. While, Ssetimba was also went under treatment for days as he had also seriously assaulted.

The Presiding Grade One Magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu ruled that she examine the evidence of the six prosecution witnesses which shown that Mwesigye was not innocent. Mwesigye faced three counts including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and two others for damage to property.

Magistrate Kamasanyu ordered Mwesigye to give his defence on 7 December 2016 when the matter comes up.

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PPF is concerned over the murder of Radio La Ribereña presenter in Peru

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) in a letter to Fernando Zavala Lombardi, Prime Minister of the Republic of Peru expressed concern over the murder of radio presenter during the broadcast in Camana, in the southern region of Arequipa, Peru.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali in his letter urged the Peruvian government to identified the perpetrator and punish him for his brutal act.

According to Reporters Without Borders, on 20 November, Hernan Choquepata Ordonez,famous with the name of Randy Ordonez, was presenting a musical programme when an unknown armed man entered in the studio of Radio La Ribereña and shot him in his head.

According to colleagues at Radio La Riberena, Ordonez recently received death threats and had reported the threats to the police.

Ordonez in his programme Habla el Pueblo used to talk to local residents who frequently criticize the region’s elected authorities. Ordonez himself was also often openly critical of local leaders during his broadcasts. The week before his murder, Ordonez criticized the mayors of Camana and the nearby town of Mariscal Caceres.

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PPF is concerned over the closure of Eye Radio station by NSS in South Sudan

Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) in a letter to Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of South Sudan expressed concern over the closure of Eye Radio station by the South Sudan National Security Service (NSS) without giving reason.

PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali in his letter urged the government of South Sudan to order to put a stop over the arbitrary closure of media houses in South Sudan.

According to Association for Media Development in South Sudan (AMDISS), on November 11, 2016 the officials of NSS barged into the radio office and forced them to shut it down. The radio management said they did not get any reason of closing the radio office. According to the media reports the radio resumed its broadcasting again on November 19.

In another case, the NSS officials closed down the Nation Mirror Newspaper without giving any reason. Despite various calls to the authorities by international human rights organizations including African Freedom of Expression Exchange, the office of newspaper remained close.

Similarly, Juba Monitor newspaper was forced to remain close for two days in July 2016 by officials of NSS, who also arrested and detained the paper's Editor, Alfred Taban for two weeks following an article he wrote which was deemed critical of the government by the South Sudanese authorities.

Shutting down the media houses by the national security is a violation of the media laws and a denial of the constitutional rights of freedom of expression and of the press.